Will You Marry Me?
by Lilly of the Flowers
Summary: It should have been the easiest question Erica Bing ever had to answer. So why couldn't she make her mouth say yes?


**_Disclaimer: Not mine._**

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"Will you marry me?"

Erica Bing gasped in shock and her brain ceased to function.

_Josh was asking her to marry him? Oh. My. God._

Her brain might not have been functioning but apparently her mouth was. It answered for her anyways.

"No."

It was now Josh's turn to appear dumbfounded, "What?" he managed to ask.

Erica opened her mouth to respond, to tell Josh she was kidding, of course she wanted to marry him, nothing would make her happier than to be his wife, but no words came out. It didn't make any sense. This should have been the easiest question she ever had to answer. Still, the word yes wouldn't leave her mouth.

It was then that the annoying little voice of common sense in the back of her head chose to speak up.

_Well, maybe you don't want to marry Josh._

Now that was just silly. Of course she wanted to marry Josh. She loved him. That was all that mattered, wasn't it?

Erica felt like crying as the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn't marry Josh. True, she may love him but it wasn't enough. He wasn't what she wanted, what she needed.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled and steeled herself to give an answer she really didn't want to give, "I'm sorry Josh, I really am, but I can't marry you." Erica shook her head softly, "No, my answer has to be no."

"Why?" He asked and Erica could here the heartbreak and confusion in her almost-fiancée's voice, "Why won't you marry me Erica?"

Erica sighed and sank into the park bench behind her as fat snowflakes swirled gently down from the sky above them. Erica thought it was monumentally unfair that she couldn't accept such a perfect proposal. After another moment of hesitation she told him, "It's because…well…ugh, I don't know how to explain this," she gave him a pleading look, "I really don't want you to hate me, Josh."

"I could never hate you." Josh told her completely honest, "Just please tell me why."

Erica turned her eyes up to the falling snow, unable to look into his face as she broke his heart so completely, "It's because of my parents."

He took a seat on the bench beside with his body angled towards her. He was frowning in puzzlement as he asked, "Do they not like me or something? Is that why?"

"No, no," Erica hurriedly corrected him. That was _not_ what she wanted him thinking, "My parents love you. It's just…a person's parents really influence how they view marriage, and relationships in general and my parents most definitely left their mark on me."

"Whenever I've seen your parents they've always looked like they have a great relationship but did they fight a lot when you were little or something?" Josh asked, taking her hands in his, "Because if that's the case, I promise you Erica, we are nothing like them."

"No, your right, my parents have a great relationship and they always have. And that's the problem. I want what they have Josh and we…we just don't have it." Erica could see Josh wasn't understanding so she explained further, "My parents aren't just husband and wife, they're best friends. They mean everything to each other and from what my Aunts and Uncles have told me they were that close long before they were together romantically.

That's what I want, Josh. I want more than a husband; I want a best friend. We don't have that. Some part of me has always known that but I hoped that it would come with time. It's been three years now and it isn't going to happen." Erica angrily wiped away the tears that had coursed down her cheeks during her little speech, "This is so frustrating because I love you so much. I'm so sorry, Josh. I don't expect you to forgive me but please, please tell me you understand."

Josh gave a long sigh, tears trailing their way across his cheeks as well, "I think I do, Erica. I love you too but I'm not what you want," He gave her a watery smile, "I guess this is it for us then."

She managed a soft smile in return, "I guess it is. If one day you can find a way to forgive me maybe we can get back to just being friends."

"I think that might be possible."

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**_Chandler and Monica have always been my favourite couple on Friends and i kinda liked the idea of seeing how others (like their daughter) would view them and their relationship. I'm pretty happy how this turned out - I've had it kicking around for while now but I'm finally pleased with it._**


End file.
